Adam Blythe Runner-Up On Last Stage of Circuit Franco-Belge

BMC’s Adam Blythe came within a half a wheel length of getting his second victory of the season with his runner-up finish to Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ-Big Mat) Sunday on the final stage of Circuit Franco-Belge.

Blythe credited his third runner-up finish of 2012 and fourth top five finish this month to strong teamwork – especially from Klaas Lodewyck, who had been part of a late breakaway before helping with the lead-out. “Klaas did a really good job for me,” he said. “I had to start my sprint a little bit earlier than I wanted to but the team did a really good job for me.” In August, Blythe won the opening stage of Paris-Corrèze to go along with runner-up finishes at Omloop van het Houtland-Lichtervelde and the Tour of Qatar.

BMC Racing Team Assistant Director Rik Verbrugghe said he was pleased with the team’s aggressive riding throughout the race that comprised 10 laps of a 15-kilometer circuit. “The guys were always good and on the last lap, Klaas was really strong,” Verbrugghe said. “He went in a breakaway of 11 guys and then did the lead out for Adam.” Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto-Belisol Team) won the overall classification, while Lodewyck (ninth, 1:02 behind) was the BMC Racing Team’s best finisher of the four-day race.